St. Johns Dealing With an Actual Cat Burglar

The Portland Police have informed us that at least two cats in the St. John's neighborhood have been deliberately stolen.

Here's the strange report, which seems to indicate a crime spree inspired by dog-theft-and-ransom film Seven Psychopaths:

On November 15, 2012, at approximately 8:00 a.m., Portland Police responded to a residence in the area of North Kellogg Street and North St. John's Avenue on the report of cat theft by an unknown suspect. The caller reported seeing a man pick up a friend's cat by the tail and put the cat in his car and drive away.

On December 23, 2012, another resident of the neighborhood, not far from the first call, reported seeing a man on the street squatting down and appearing to be trying to lure cats. The caller did not see if the man actually grabbed a cat or not. This caller had a limited description of the man as wearing all dark clothes and a hat, driving a white 2000-2004 Cadillac Deville, 4-door, with tinted windows and possibly a headlight out.

The district officer in the neighborhood has been told of other cats missing, but to date there are only these two reports linking a person to cat theft.

I wasn't sure why the Portland Police was keeping track of lost cats (that's the Humane Society's job) but stealing an animal is, surprisingly, a felony under Oregon law. Keep an eye on those cats and if anyone has information about the thefts, call the police non-emergency line at (503) 823-3333.